For the Love of Blood
by Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena
Summary: What happens if Saya took Solomon's hand in ep43? What would it be like if Diva begged Saya for mercy? Amshell's true intentions are revealed, and both Queens work together to remove him, to regain their peace, and to gain the life they had always wanted.
1. Chapter 1

Kai refused to believe anything that he had heard, everything that had been said. The meeting had ended, and the Red Shield had accepted the Chevalier Solomon Goldsmith into their ranks. But was he not the one who had kidnapped Saya in that air-base? Was he not the one who tried to kill her back in the Zoo? How could he have come to love her? How could she have come to return that love? What about Hagi? Did he not love her as well? Solomon was their enemy; they could not just bring him in even if he had Saya's word! "Hagi, why would you even allow this?" Kai demanded of Saya's stalwart Chevalier. Hagi only looked at Saya, who was walking with Julia into the medical wing to execute various tests regarding her... situation. "She's bearing that... man's children!"

"Saya needs her children" Hagi said. He had known Saya far longer than anyone had. He knew that it was her family that brought her the strength to fight. He knew it all too well. For a fact, he also knew that Solomon truly loved Saya. It had been so ever since the Chevalier with the ice-blue eyes met his Queen. It had been so, even before what had happened in Vietnam… "And only Solomon can be their father"

However, Kai would not listen. He stormed out of the meeting room, only to find Joel VI and Solomon speaking to each other. "It is an honor to have you here, Solomon" the wheel-chair bound leader of the Red Shield said. In his younger days, Joel VI had met Solomon and Amshell. They had been present at his father's funeral. He did not know that they were Chevaliers then, only that the brothers from the Goldsmith clan were his distant kin, for both their clans were once a powerful dynasty in the world of business centuries ago. "You have done much to help both the Red Shield and Saya" Solomon smiled in return, and shook Joel's hand. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have matters to attend to"

"Do not let me keep you, Joel" Solomon replied, and gave Joel VI a slight bow. After Joel VI had left, he turned to Kai. "You are Saya's adoptive brother, Miyagusuku Kai, are you not?" he asked with another bow. Kai nodded, and continued to glare at him. "I can understand why you distrust me, but rest assured that I will not allow anything to happen to Saya. You have my word"

Kai did not budge, even as Solomon offered a handshake. "You were Diva's Chevalier, and you switched sides so easily. How am I supposed to trust you?" He demanded. The Chevalier sighed and explained that everything that he did, every breath he took, it was for Saya. "Then where were you when Saya was in so much pain? Where were you in Vietnam… When our father died?"

"Trust me, I was there" came Solomon's reply. "You just could not see me, is all" Within seconds, he felt a slight impact at the centre of his chest. Kai had punched him, and he understood fully the boy's actions. If he had retaliated, Kai would have distrusted him more, and so, he did nothing. He just backed away, and left with a bow.

In the infirmary, Julia was giving Saya a sonogram, where she asked, "Saya did Solomon…" She found not the right words to say, for she was not sure whether Solomon had forced himself on the chestnut-eyed Queen, or did she give herself to him willingly. He was Diva's Chevalier, after all. Not to mention the CEO of a highly powerful pharmaceutical empire that could move the world if he wanted to. Surprisingly, Saya shook her head.

"He proposed to me, and I accepted it" Saya replied, smiling inwardly. "Julia, after… that night, I gained back more memories of the past, and before the Vietnam incident, I was actually with him." Julia looked at her in shock momentarily. Yet, it was not wholly untrue. According the Red Shield's data, she had been MIA after an attempted attack on Diva and her Chevaliers during the events of WWII. What happened then, nobody knew, except Hagi, who said nothing about what had happened then. "I can't explain this… but I feel loved around Solomon. He gave everything for me, and…"

Julia put her hand on Saya's and smiled. "I know, Saya. All that matters is that you are happy". Focusing back on her computer, she told Saya to look at the sonogram's imagery and explained everything to Saya everything there is to know about her unborn children. "They were growing at an exceptionally fast rate, as compared to Diva's. In human terms, you are about two and a half months pregnant, which is many times faster compared to your sister, since her daughters were… conceived earlier" She tried hard not to remain Saya of the pain of Riku's death, but as a scientist and a medical officer, it was her job to deliver the facts, and only the facts. After a brief pause, she instructed Saya on what kind of food must she take, the increase of blood transfusions and even the intake of Hagi's blood during her pregnancy. "Hagi, can you please make sure that Saya does all this?"

Hagi nodded, and said, "Anything to ensure Saya's health" He had lost to Solomon in terms that the latter had truly gained his Queen's love, but he was sure that he would always be there to protect and serve Saya no matter what. He was _her_ Chevalier, after all. After Julia had finished what she had wanted to say, he picked Saya up and carried her into her room.

As he was walking down the numerous corridors of the expansive ship that was the headquarters of the Red Shield, he met Lewis, who decided to walk with them. By then, Saya had already been asleep. "You know, Saya here is a lucky girl" he said with a smirk. "She has a Chevalier like you, and most importantly, a rich and handsome fiancé like Blondie" Hagi did not need to guess who that "Blondie" was at all. "Just joking, pal, you're not half bad"

Solomon watched as Hagi placed Saya on her bed and pulling the covers above her lithe, curvaceous body. He had already been there before they arrived. "So beautiful, our Saya" he said, caressing her flawless cheek. "Her resolve burns as the fires that her eyes behold" Hagi merely stared at Solomon. "Whether you like it or not, Hagi, she is _ours_ to protect now"

Hagi nodded, and said, "I agree with you. But, there is one thing that I must ask of you" There was a slight glint of hatred in his eyes.

"What is it?"

"Should you even make Saya cry, I shall take her from you"

Solomon chuckled lightly, and said, "Fair enough, so is it a truce between us, then?"


	2. Chapter 2

"_If you had lost anything, I shall reclaim it for you in our lifetime of near-eternity" Solomon said, tipping her chin. His words, they calmed her so. But, he was her enemy, the Chevalier of her sister, Diva, and to top it all of, one of the most powerful she had known. However, there was something that had drawn her to him, something deep within the dark vaults of her memories and something that came from her blood. For long she had suspected that everything he said was a lie… that he was sent by Diva and his brothers to kill her. He had told her that he loved her, but a part of her wanted to believe him, while another part of her remained on guard…_

_She steeled her glance on his ice-blue eyes and asked, "You're Diva's Chevalier, aren't you?" She wanted a straight answer from him, and she meant it. Once again, he smiled, and answered that before all that he currently was; he was a man that loved her deeply. Immediately, half her soul jumped for joy.. He closed his eyes, and closed the distance between them to kiss her, ready for whatever rejection that may come from her. Yet, as his lips were pressed against hers, she readily responded to him, wrapping her arms around his neck to further bridge the gap between them._

_Such heat… such passion… no one had ever made her feel like this, not even Hagi. As he slightly grazed her lips with his tongue, she let out a small moan, hence granting him passage into her mouth. Carefully and gently, he explored her mouth using his tongue, tasting her delectable sweetness. However, she was not one who was to be taken lightly. Within seconds of his intrusion, her tongue had fought back for dominance tentatively. The fight for control soon started, and he began to fight for self-control instead. Sensing that she was getting out of breath, he calmly pulled away from her, and embraced her._

"_Saya, be my bride" he said once again while stroking her soft ebony hair. He wanted her to know how much he loved her. He wanted her to know that whatever happens, he would be by her side. "I do not mind running through hellfire to live with you. If you wish to have Diva killed, then so be it"_

_Without any more hesitation, she nodded, and buried her head deeper into his chest. She no longer had any doubts regarding his heart that beat so strongly and so steadily. He was not lying, she knew it. Somehow she had known long ago that everything he had said was real. Smiling, he picked her up into his arms and carried her bridal-style onto his bed._

_What followed later she remembered clearly. That single memory of joined bodies and entangled sheets, she will never forget. She could never forget…_

Waking with Solomon next to her, Saya smiled as he kissed her forehead lightly. "It is too early to wake, Saya. You need your rest" he said, brushing a stray lock of hair. She smiled, and looked into his ice-blue eyes. She knew that she could not be idle. There were many things to do as of yet. They had to come out with a whole new strategy to defeat Diva. Preparations must be made. And before all that, she had to become stronger. So, despite Solomon's words, she rose from the bed and got dressed quickly after washing-up. She did not tell him where she would go, for she knew not for herself.

However, as she took a few mere steps, she began to falter, and fell into Solomon's arms. It was not good; as the days passed she becomes weaker and weaker… She needed to kill Diva and fast. Only then, can she be at peace. Only then, can her children live without fear. "There is not much time left…" she murmured to her fiancé. "If I don't do something soon, I fear that I won't be able to see our children live as I had back in Okinawa"

Solomon smiled, and gave her a reassuring kiss to silence her dark thoughts. "I shall fight next to you for a future that our daughters shall be proud of" he added, taking her into his arms. "Nothing will come between us, I promise you" They were just about to kiss once more, when Hagi suddenly burst into the room with David and Kai.

"Saya, you have to see this" David said, his voice shaking a little. He did not reveal anything more, but led Saya and Solomon to the deck of the ship where two very familiar-looking figures. One was tall and lanky, a male, while the other was a female, roughly the same size a build as Saya. Nathan and Diva were here.

Hagi passed Saya her katana, while David ordered the Red Shield agents all around them to back off. It was a fight between the Queens and the Chevaliers that they could not interrupt. Within seconds, both Queens charged towards each other while Hagi attacked Nathan. It was only Solomon that noticed the basket that was standing near where Diva formally stood, and out of curiosity, he went to inspect its contents, shocked to no end upon finding two cocoons the size of human infants. Had Diva already given birth?

"Nee-sama, what is the hurry, don't you want to see your nieces?" Diva asked, thrusting her French-made sword towards her sister. At once, Saya paused. Her _nieces_? Where were they? Her chestnut eyes darted everywhere, until she looked upon the spot where Solomon was standing. There they were, in the basket lined with white and blue cloth. "Aren't they beautiful?"

Saya did not know what to say, but continued to point her katana towards Diva. "Why are you here, Diva?" she demanded. If it was another attack on the Red Shield, her sister had miscalculated her strategies greatly. They were better-prepared now. Even if her other Chevaliers popped out of nowhere, they would have enough firepower to overcome them. "What do you want?"

Diva laughed. "Can't I visit my own sister with my daughters?" she asked in return. "Solomon, you didn't tell me that you are going to be a father… Is this how you treat your _former_ Queen?" Her emphasis on the word "former" almost broke Solomon's heart, but he held Saya's hand in his discreetly, reassuring her of his presence.

"Diva is here to make a proposition" Nathan said, freeing himself from Hagi's daggers that had pinned him to the iron walls of the ship. "Aren't you, Diva?"

The sapphire-eyed Queen nodded, and walked up to Saya. What she did next shocked everyone who laid eyes on her, including Nathan and Solomon. "I know you hate me and you want to kill me" she said to Saya, who interjected,

"You have caused so much pain to this world, Diva that you cannot redeem yourself even if you died three times over!"

"But my daughters are innocent!" Diva cried, and dropped to her knees. For the first time in her life, she was kneeling to someone, to Saya, no less. "Nee-sama, I know that you want to kill me, but spare my daughters! They are the only family I have next to you!" Tears ran down her sapphire eyes. Diva could actually shed tears…


	3. Chapter 3

Saya stood before her kneeling sister filled with shock. Diva… she was shedding tears on behalf of her own daughters. She actually wanted to protect them… Was this woman in front of her, truly her sister? "Nee-sama, all I ever wanted was a family." Diva pleaded. "All my life there are only those who would only kneel to me, and those who want to kill me. But my little girls, they have never done anything to anyone, please, don't kill them!"

Still, Saya remained silent. Diva was right before, right in striking range. She could take her vengeance, for her sister's murder of Joel I, for the fate of her adopted father, Miyagusuku George, and for Riku's death. All she had to do was to coat the grooves of her katana and pierce it right through Diva's heart. She could end it now. But why didn't her hands move? Why can't she just do the deed? Chiropterans brought sadness to everyone, but somewhere down the lane, she had reached the conclusion that it was the doing of Diva that led to all this chaos. Her own sister that was the subject of the nightmares that she and those of the Red Shield had suffered. Very early on, she had wanted to hunt and kill Diva, and then have Hagi kill herself. But could she do it now? Both she and her sister had children of their own. New Queens that shared their destinies… Could she bring herself to kill Diva, and more importantly, her own nieces, after seeing her sister's tears.

Nathan was the one who broke that god-awful silence. "Saya, dear, I am sure that if you do manage to kill Diva, you won't kill her daughters. And even then, how about your own, and Solomon's?" Those words pierced Saya's heart like an arrow. What he said was true. She had no reason to kill Diva's children whatsoever. She pierced her katana into the metal floor of the ship and let loose her hand. "Solomon, you have found out Amshell's plans for Diva's children, haven't you? An opportunist like yourself would surely jump at that kind of chance."

"What chance?" Hagi asked, glaring at Solomon. It had better not be some plot to have Saya involved. It had better not be. "If Saya's safety is compromised…"

"I would never step in any cause of action that would harm Saya. The only ones that would be harmed in Amshell's plans that Nathan had spoken of is Diva's unborn children. She would wish for death before her children is taken away from her, and so I came to Saya to aid her in killing Diva, as Diva's Chevalier and as one who loves Saya." He cleared his throat and spoke louder so all could hear him. "Amshell Nii-san wishes to pry Diva's daughters away from her once they are born. He will continue heavy experimentation on them until they are fully-grown, to lead the Corpse Corps as alpha-females and the most powerful biological weapons upon this world."

Kai fisted his hands as he witnessed everything. Amshell Goldsmith, according to Joel's Diary, he was the one who suggested to Joel I to lock Diva up in the tower in the Zoo as a control experiment. If even Diva would come to Saya for mercy because of him, that Chevalier must be pure evil. He must be. However, before anyone could do or say anything, Joel VI came up to Diva and asked, "Are you saying that Amshell Oji-san is the cause of all this chaos?"

Diva merely looked at Nathan. To her, Amshell was not only her benefactor, but also her longest serving Chevalier. He had taught her how to read, to speak in many languages, and most of all, he had given her his company during those dark days of her life. But even after Saya had freed her into the world, Amshell would not let her go. Truth be told, he had her caged under his gaze, within his mind, even if her body was free. Too many times she had been happily frolicking around one moment, while the in the next, she felt sedated, waking up in a strange room undressed and feeling intimately… content. She would beg and plead her Chevaliers to tell her what had happen, but half of the time they just shook off her questions. It was only in rare occasions that Solomon and/or Nathan told her that Amshell had injected hormones into her body to conduct experiments on her reproductive processes or some other aspect that she did not care about. As time passed, she began to fear such experiences, but refused to back down. Now that she had her daughters, she could not possibly allow this to happen. What mother would want her daughters to go through the suffering she was forced into? "Amshell was the one who whispered dark things into my ear." Diva murmured in a small voice. Finally, after so many years of causing so much death, the true Diva had emerged. The Diva that Saya had known before she was released. "When he saw me walking below the tower I was locked in, he carried me into a big room and got me dressed"

She then narrated how she had come to find the party where Joel I's 72nd birthday was celebrated. Amshell had told her to kill him, to kill all those that had sought to deprive her of her freedom. Immediately, an untold rage caught her, and she began to kill each and everyone present, draining them of their blood as she did so. With more blood consumed, the more feral she became until Joel I was the last one standing. Killing him without thought, she drank his blood as well, and saw for the first time, Saya.

From then on, everyone knew what happened between the two Queens. From their escapades in Russia, to the horrific battles in Germany, fought right in the middle of the conflict between the Axis and the Allies, right to the tragic Vietnam War. "Amshell… was the one who caused all this right?" Kai asked Diva, remembering very closely that she once took Riku's form and appearance. "Why didn't you kill him then?"

"Oh, come on, Kai. Can you back out on the person who saved you from near-sanity-consuming loneliness?" Nathan snapped impatiently. Sighing, he took Diva's baby-basket and wrapped his arms around his Queen. "Diva, we must go before Amshell notices that we are missing." Diva nodded, and agreed to leave, casting longing looks on Saya. "Oh, and, Saya, I would hope that you will take some time out and rethink on what Diva has said. Our race can't possibly survive if we keep on fighting like this. Think about your own children and Diva's, okay? We'll expect you to contact us as soon as possible. Solomon knows my number, ciao!"

In a flash of blue light, both Nathan and Diva were gone, leaving the Red Shield and Saya to contemplate on a decision that they had never encountered before: To ally themselves with Diva, and hence, destroying the one source of suffering experienced by human and Chiropteran alike or to fight it out until the last one standing.


	4. Chapter 4

Three days… For three days Diva had waited for any sign of communication from the Red Shield or Solomon, but nothing came. However, it did not mean that Nathan's phone did not stop ringing. First, it was Oprah Winfrey wanting to do a show with Nathan on the American Opera scene, and then it was Heidi Klum for something else… Oh, Diva had met down before, and Nathan thanked the gods that she did not have a sudden urge to drain the celebrities of their blood due to her irritation. "Why can't Nee-sama just call now?" she demanded furiously, burying her head into a pillow. "My daughters and Amshell can't wait that long!"

Having said that, she began to pace up and down the room. Singing could not help much either… In Nathan's words, "Diva, dear, it is not like you to be so nervous over anything". Truly, her Chevalier had never seen her like this before in his many years under her service. Then, there was another small part of the problem: James. If he found out that the both of them had contacted Saya to negotiate peace… Well, it would not be very pretty, and even Diva was sure of that. If anything, they were extremely lucky that he was still asleep in a liquid-filled tank, waiting to be reconstructed by their scientists.

"I want them to be safe, Nathan." Diva replied, caressing both the cocoons. In her heart only they mattered to her, and they will grow up under her wing to be as powerful and as free as she was. However, the large scythe that threatened to cut her into two pieces interrupted her wishful thinking. With her lightning-quick reflexes, she leapt into the air and snatched the scythe from its owner. "Who are you, and why are you here?" She asked, looking at the three individuals before her. Two males and a female, all armed, with a mixture of hope, fear and determination in their emerald eyes.

The male who attacked her retrieved his scythe and said, "We are the Schiff, Diva, and we are here to get your blood." He was determined to save his friends, determine to live on in this world. But because of the Thorn that afflicted them, and their adversity towards sunlight, their lifespan was very, very short. Their only hope was Diva's blood, of which they were created from.

Diva returned to her female form and raised an eyebrow. "And what for?" she asked in reply. She had never seen them before, why would they be after her blood? Unless… She recognized that face; all those beasts from the Corpse Corps had that very same face. "You are the one Amshell made the Corpse Corps from!"

Nathan smirked. Sometimes, Amshell would always think that Diva could be easily deceived. To the contrary, she had shown that she was constantly alert, although she might not show it. "Let me guess," he said, walking towards the other two. "All three are you do not wish to die decapitated or be subdued by the Thorn, am I right?"

Sub-consciously, Lulu nodded. "We want to live," she murmured. Diva continued to observe them, intrigued. "You don't know how it is, Diva. You don't know how it feels to see all of your friends dying in front of you. There are only three of us left…" A genuine tear fell down from the young Schiff's eyes, and Diva's expression softened. Just days ago, she, the great Diva, had knelt in front of her sister and sworn enemy, Saya, to beg for the survival of her children. These three, they may never be parents, but she felt their pain. She finally understood that every being had a right to live, human or Chiropteran. That was why she had stopped asking her Chevaliers for live, _fresh_, humans for blood, but opted for those that came from the blood bank instead. These three, they were created from her blood, and somehow, she felt this instant connection with them…

"Very well, I shall grant you my blood," Diva said, hugging Lulu. "But, in return I ask for a favor from all of you." Giving a nod to Nathan, she said, "Nathan, I want you to get some syringes." Immediately, Nathan disappeared.

"What is it that you want from us?" the tall one, Karman asked. Diva smiled and said that she wanted them to protect her children, no matter what happens. He looked at the other male, who contemplated her request for a moment. In truth, they had no reason as to why the deal cannot be done. They could continue to live on, while Diva's children would be protected, for without the Thorn, the Schiff were almost as powerful as the Chevaliers. Maybe not as powerful as Solomon, Amshell or James, but still, they could give Hagi and Karl a run for their money. Receiving Diva's blood would only add to their power.

When Nathan had returned, the leader looked at Diva and at her children before reverting his glance back to his friends. This was their chance to escape death, and he knew that he had to pursue it, but why was Diva so willing to grant their wish, with so trivial a condition? "Why do you want the protection of your children?" he asked Diva, who laughed as she always did.

"Silly Schiff," she answered. "All I ever wanted was a family. Had I not cared about those children, would I go to Saya Nee-sama and asked her for their safety? With you protecting them, I would not have to worry about a thing, even if Nee-sama refuses to cooperate." Yes, the Schiff could be her back up plan should Saya refuse her request for peace between them in order to take Amshell down. She could act on her own, and with those three and Nathan by her side, no one could stop her.

Once again, silence fell among the Schiff as they looked at one another. Diva had already begun to draw her own blood. Finally, they agreed to her terms. Just moments after Nathan had administered her blood into their bodies, they began to feel obvious changes. The presence of sunlight no longer hurt them, and the signs of the Thorn on Karman's neck had disappeared… Indeed, Diva's blood was working. Lulu was the first to rush outside into the sun, and proved that their hypothesis was true. "It worked, it worked!" she exclaimed, happily prancing about Nathan's garden.

"Thank you, Diva." The leader said, holding out his hand to offer Diva a handshake. "You have given us new hope…"

Smiling, she wrapped her arms around the boyish-looking Schiff for a hug. "All for the ones who will protect my daughters." She replied.

Just then, Nathan's phone had rung again. Prudently putting the call on loudspeakers, everyone could hear Solomon's voice from the call. "Nathan, the Red Shield and Saya have reached a decision. We shall work with Diva to defeat Amshell Nii-san down. Please come to the Headquarters within the hour to begin negotiations."

Diva's heart soared. Finally, things were going her way.


	5. Chapter 5

The very moment Kai saw the Schiff coming in with Diva, his mouth dropped. How was it possible that they had sided with her already? What did she have to offer them, unless of course, her blood to heal them, but that was beside the point. "Moses, how did this happen? Why are you with Diva now?" Kai demanded when he saw Moses. "Please tell me that you just saw each other at the door or something…" Lewis immediately kicked him in the shin to shut him up.

Solomon, however, knew what was going on between the Schiff and Diva. "She gave you her blood in return for the protection of her children, did she not?" he asked Moses, who nodded in answer. "Then we shall not have to worry about the unborn Queens in regards of their safety. However, I am curious as to whether…" He was at a loss for words, for he found not the words to enquire what the Schiff had become. However, Karman said that they were what they were born to be, and the only difference they had with their fallen comrades was that the sun and the Thorn no longer afflicted them. "Saya has been very concerned about the three of you, and I think that she will take your… employment rather well."

"She has been a great benefactor to us, Chevalier." Moses replied, emerald eyes piercing into Solomon's ice blue ones. He saw that Solomon held no malice as compared to the others he had seen, and when Saya had entered the meeting-room with Hagi, Moses saw the somewhat casual expression that Solomon had always held changed into something very different, something that he could never understand. "I do not know how Karman, Lulu and I will survive without her help and mercy."

When Joel VI came in with David, the meeting had started without any incident. "First, I would like to thank our two Chiropteran Queens for having reached a mutual understanding of peace between them." Joel VI said kindly, looking towards both Diva and Saya. "And thanks to Solomon Goldsmith's financial aid, we have regained the means for the continuation of the Red Shield." There was a slight silence, for all remembered that while as Diva's Chevalier, Solomon had been the CEO of Cinq Fleches, one of the most powerful pharmaceutical companies that had ties with the US military… It was no wonder why he had amassed so much wealth… David cleared his throat, hinting that they should jump straight to the point. The ship was anchored in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and was very, very noticeable from the sky. Amshell's agents would easily spot them from a helicopter, who wouldn't, in fact?

"Saya Nee-sama, how sure are you that this is not another one of Amshell's plans to kill you?" Diva asked coyly, eying her sister. "Are you so ready to trust me?" Still, she was unsure whether the waters before her were safe to tread, for she too, was in danger of being deceived by Saya as well. However, if Saya decided that she would act alone, more humans would die, and perhaps her own life would be forfeit. There was too much to lose, too much at stake. Whether or not both Queens truly wanted peace, the only way to end this senseless and needless war was by working together. Only then could Diva be truly free, and only then could Saya and the Red Shield have their vengeance. It was that simple.

A confidant smile crossed Saya's face as she answered, "You know very well that we can't continue fighting like this, Diva." That night, they shall decide how best to defeat Amshell. They shall decide how to end all agony suffered by both sides once and for all. "Joel-san, how are we progressing so far?"

"As of yet, our Intelligence has reported that at least two million humans will turn into base-level Chiropterans the moment Diva starts to sing. We plan to destroy any satellites they have before the telecast begins. But if they use military satellites, we would be in deep trouble."

Diva gave a bit of thought to those words. She may look ignorant, but she actually knew that Amshell had already anticipated that move from them. "I can… what is that human word for the act that destroys computers using a computer?" Nathan slapped his forehead. Just a year ago, Diva was so bored that she had decided that she wanted to learn how to be a computer hacker after watching the movie "Swordfish". Without any hesitation, Karl had immediately obtained a gifted hacker and threatened the poor man to teach Diva the tools of his trade should he be killed instantly. Lewis burst out in slight laughter and apologized, added that the word she was looking for was "hack". "Yes, _hack_ a computer, but is it possible for me to help?"

"In some ways, yes," Lewis replied, "However, you know nothing of Amshell's plans, don't you? As in where those satellites are, who are operating them and what not?" Diva bit her lip. For the first time in her life, an obese black man had her at a loss for words, and she could do nothing to avenge herself. She liked those new boundaries set upon her, for they taught her the steps she had to take to live in peace. "Take it easy, kiddo. Even our Intelligence couldn't do it, so you don't get all the blame."

Solomon and Nathan rolled their eyes. No one, _no one_ had ever spoke to Diva so casually, but they knew that Lewis did so because he acted the same way around Saya, having realized that it was a perverted form of favoritism by Joel I that caused both sisters to turn against one another… "So what do we do then?" Kai asked. "We can't just possibly walk into Amshell's trap? What if he finds out that even Diva is in this? What if he has another plan that no one knows about?"

Saya stood up and said, "Then we would have to spring that trap, Kai. We have no other choice. Solomon, you said that there was a way to kill Chevaliers without using neither Queens' blood. How?"

It was a question that was so easy to answer for Solomon; yet, he found it difficult to utter those words before Diva. Years ago, in the violence of WWII, he had killed the Chevalier Martin Bormann by taking out his heart and crushing it. Diva had been rather fond of that Chevalier, but she seemed to be indifferent now. "We can kill Amshell that way. Focus all our firepower on him and whatever he throws at us, while Saya and Diva aim for his heart."

Nathan was the only one who interrupted. "But will he buy your plan, Solomon?" he asked. Long before Solomon's defection, Amshell had already noticed that his biological brother would turn to Saya. What was this time so different? "How sure are you that he doesn't have armies of Corpse Corps behind his back just waiting for us to sit cozily in his trap and take off our heads?"

"Well, the Red Shield is not the only one with the Intelligence, Nathan." Solomon replied. At that very instant, a very familiar figure came through the door. "Gentlemen, my dear Queens, this is Archer. He is an ex-comrade of our dear Lewis in the CIA, as well as Van Argeno's 'assistant' in Cinq Fleches, and the one who will be our spy."


	6. Chapter 6

"The Queens are in the Castle, I repeat, the Queens are in the Castle, over," said a Red Shield operative from a helicopter above the MET, indicating that both Saya and Diva were in the building already. The night of reckoning had come, and their plans have worked so far. With Archer's inside help, every single military satellite used by Cinq Fleches was pinpointed and hacked into, while Lewis and the Schiff were just waiting for the order from Joel VI to destroy the main ones. Saya walked into the foyer of the elaborate building with Kai, Solomon and Hagi, while David and Joel VI entered later.

As she walked with her arm locked with Solomon's, Saya felt her vision blur again. "Saya, are you well?" Her fiancé asked with concern, gently caressing her face. She forced a smile, and nodded her head. He was right; the time of her long hibernation had indeed come. There was no way to deny it. However, she refused to back down know. She still had a battle to fight, she still had to see her children and nieces being born; she still had to go back to Okinawa with Kai… Both Hagi and Kai looked at her, each with a perplexed expression on their faces.

"I'm fine, there's no need to worry about me." Saya's reply was firm, yet reassuring at the same time. Without losing any more time, they quickly made to the box where Joel VI was seated. They could see practically everything from there, from the magnificent stage, right down to the rest of the theater. It was also a prefect spot for a sniper, according to Lewis' words when he told them of that position. "Joel-san, how is everything going?"

Joel VI turned to her, and said, "To cut things short, Saya, everything is going as planned. The moment you engage Diva, we shall get to work on those transmission satellites and direct all our firepower on Amshell Oji-san." His words were grave, stressing the importance of every single detail of their operation that night. One little mistake would be their downfall, for sure.

Diva was sure garnering a huge audience that night… Everyone from the blue-blooded socialites of New York was there, to the celebrities of Hollywood who appreciated the ancient art of opera. "Ah, this will be Diva's greatest performance yet!" Nathan exclaimed, happily sipping his glass of Bordeaux. "Just look who is here! I see the Hiltons, David Letterman…" The list of guests went on and on, and James wondered whether when he would stop. At the corner of his eye, Nathan saw Saya and Solomon standing at one of the boxes and turned so that his brother would not see them. "Isn't this wonderful, James?"

James scoffed. "Your responsibility tonight is to take care of Mama's children, not celebrity-spotting," he said, crossing his arms. Truly, could Nathan not see the importance of that night's events? Saya was there, he could sense her, but where was she currently, he knew not. "She has explicitly requested Saya's defeat, and we should see to it that it is so." _And if Solomon is here, I shall tear that wretched traitor into pieces!_ James had been seething with rage ever since the ice-blue eyed Chevalier's defection. Diva had actually been upset about it! _I will kill him in front of Saya as she is being killed by Mama!_

Just then, Amshell joined them as well. "Well, my brothers, I see that our plans for tonight are altogether seamless. We have our bait, and our dear Saya is walking right into our trap." He looked at the baby-basket close to Nathan and smirked at himself. The moment Saya was dead, there would be extreme confusion within the Red Shield, and they would be ultimately by desecrated by the defeat of their only weapon and shining light of hope; meanwhile, in the midst of the confusion, he will steal Diva's children away from Nathan, and secure them in his research facility… His plan was flawless, indeed.

"Indeed," Nathan replied. "What a magnificent night this will turn out to be. What will Diva's mother say if she lived to see this? What her Chevalier would say to that, I wonder…" Amshell and James remained silent, not knowing how to react to his question. It was true that Diva and Saya's mother would have a Chevalier, and after so long, they had not bothered to locate him, or _them_ for that matter… But it was too late to consider that fact now, for it would all end within that night. It would end for sure… For the first time in his life, Amshell decided not to hound the matter, and left the scene. Already he had noticed Saya's presence, and had intended to strike before she did Diva.

Once James was also gone, citing the need to check on the situation around them, Diva appeared before Nathan, in her female form. "Nathan, thank you for helping me in this…" she said, as she was caressing the little cocoons that were her daughters. Without his help, she would not have come take this step she was taking. She would not have found the strength to betray her own Chevaliers for the safety of her children as well as her own happiness.

Nathan chuckled, and said, "Nonsense, my dear. The board is set, and the pieces are moving as we speak." He looked at the nearby clock and gasped, with a seek, "Diva, are you aware of what time it is already? I would get ready for my big performance if I were you."

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Once all of them had been briefed on the necessary details of their mission, Kai said, "Solomon, Hagi, I wish to talk to you guys for a while." Both Chevaliers looked at him in uncertainty, but went with him to the empty corridor that led to Joel VI's box. The nineteen year-old heaved a deep breath and said, "All this while, I've joined the Red Shield because I wanted to protect my family, and avenge their deaths, but I am only human, and can only do so much…" Hagi looked as if he wanted to interrupt, but Solomon held up a hand to silence him beforehand. If Kai would want to say anything, he had to say it now, lest his performance during their mission is affected. Understanding the rational that the mate of his Queen had, Hagi remained in his stalwart composure, and continue to hear what Kai had to say. "However, you guys are different. You can practically survive if a bomb drops on you… Hagi, you've been protecting Saya ever since this whole thing started, and Solomon, you're the father of her kids, I'm sure that you'll want her to be safe, right?"

"If you want _us_ to protect Saya, you have no cause for worry." Solomon smirked when he heard those words coming out of Hagi's mouth. Had he finally embraced the fact that Saya had chosen to love the blonde Chevalier instead? Solomon knew that Kai had possessed some level of romantic feelings towards Saya. It had always been so, but he also knew that she had merely looked upon him as a member of her family, and should him or Hagi win Saya's heart, he would always remain her brother, her brother that she would always protect.

Emerging from the box, Saya held her katana and watched the three main men in her life with her soft chestnut eyes. She did not know how she would be able to continue living on without any one of them. Walking slowly towards them, she said, "Thank you… all of you…"


	7. Chapter 7

"Damn it!" Saya exclaimed the moment Amshell took Hagi down with what looked like a purple blot of lightning. Despite the fact that everything they had planned to execute went smoothly, she did not want _anyone _to get hurt, or worse, _killed_. They had come too far in their efforts to die now… Solomon charged towards his brother, and quickly cut off the latter's arm before any more damage could be done, splattering his blood on the beams of the backstage catwalk, on the velvet curtains, and on the floor.

Amshell smirked to himself. "Indeed, becoming a father has heightened your powers, little brother," he said to Solomon as he reattached his arm. "That is just as well, for you have much to protect now, do you not?" The eyes of the Goldsmith brothers glowed red and within seconds, they were in full Chiropteran form, attacking one another furiously.

"Solomon!" Saya shouted the moment Solomon made to pursue Amshell, who had crashed through the roof of the MET, but had no time to do anything, as she had to parry an attack that came from James. She saw him launch an enormous spike from his arm, but her vision blurred again, causing her to almost. However, when her vision came back, Hagi had shielded her with his own body.

James looked amused. "I will protect Mama by killing you, Saya!" he exclaimed, noticing that her strength was diminishing as the time of her hibernation would come soon. It would take more than brute force to defeat him, brute force that she always relied on. He could see every attack she threw at him, as well as Hagi's. Yes, they were experienced warriors, but they had no experience in combat with more powerful Chiropterans. _Killing these two would be easy_, he thought. That was what he thought.

The moment Diva's song had finished, she jumped in between James and Saya, and cut her sister, coating her sword with Saya's blood. James was immediately confused. Why, why was his Queen using her sister's blood? What was her motive? Why would she want to do that? Unless… _unless…_ Taking a step back, the Chevalier looked at his Queen once more, hoping that she would clarify her actions. Hoping that she will say that it was part of her plan… But Diva only laughed. "You're a silly child, James." She replied, walking daintily towards him. "I'll have to kill you now, so hold still…"

"What?" James exclaimed. "But, Mama, I have only served you!" But Diva giggled as she always did. With glowing sapphire eyes, she replied that he had readily continued to carry out Amshell's orders knowing full well that he wanted to use her daughters for his own causes. Only then, did he realize the true reason why Diva had discarded him. He had done her wrong, and he had to pay for it, But what about Solomon, who betrayed her for Saya? Soon, what he felt was only rage, only anger until he swiped at Diva with his large appendage.

"I'm sorry, child. I have to kill you…" Diva said softly, and thrust her sword into his abdomen. Before he could crystallize completely, she bent to give him one last kiss. He called her name a last time, and fell back towards the floor, disintegrating into thousands of red and white stones upon impact. In the theater, all the members of the audience had evacuated the building, leaving only the Chiropterans that had emerged at her singing. Until Amshell and Solomon had returned, all they could do were to take those down. It was then when Saya told Hagi to seek the brothers Goldsmith out. "But, will you be alright?" he asked, and at Saya's smile, he immediately took off with his wings and Chiropteran hands fully-fledged. "So, Nee-sama, shall we?"

With Nathan's help, both Queens destroyed the bulk of base-level Chiropterans when Solomon fell through the hole in the roof. "Nii-san is not really happy," he said dryly at both Queens. Seconds later, Hagi crashed down in the same fashion, creating a second hole. "Ah, Hagi, how nice of you to _drop in_." Ignoring his sarcasm, Hagi threw one of his daggers towards Amshell, who was hot on their trail.

But something was stalling him… Three figures had attacked the most powerful of the Chevaliers, giving the others a chance to recover from their injuries. "Don't tell me that Amshell does not have even the slightest scratch on him?" Nathan asked, rubbing his temples. Sadly, both younger Chevaliers shook their heads. "With your abilities, Solomon and Hagi, you both should be able to impale him on the Chrysler building."

Diva looked at the others impatiently. "So what are we going to do? Let the Schiff do all the work?" she demanded. "We should get out there and help them out! Nathan, you stay here and keep my babies safe." This was one motion that everyone agreed on, and the moment they got to the back compound of the MET, what they saw was a rain of bullets and blood. Amshell… all her life, she had feared him. Yes, he was her Chevalier, but first and foremost, he was a man who wanted her all to himself. He wanted to discover that wonders she could create, and relentlessly pursued his unethical hunger for her. "Amshell, stop this right now!" she shouted with all her might.

"Finally acting as a Queen, Diva?" Amshell asked furiously. "The blood of these fools tells me that you have negotiated peace with Saya, and you wish to kill me?" At a height of fourteen feet in his Chiropteran form, he was at a gargantuan size, but Diva knew that she had to stop being afraid of him to make sure that her daughters were safe. "How can you do this to me? I, who cared for you all these years,"

More Red Shield agents shot at him, but the moment he spread his wings and flapped them once, the bullets fell like pieces of paper in the wind. "If you loved Diva, you would have stopped Joel from keeping her in that tower!" Saya shouted. "If you loved her, you would not have let us be separated, and caused her to create so much chaos!"

Amshell glared at Saya. "If I recalled correctly, Saya, you were the one who wanted to destroy Diva in the first place. And if it was not for you, Diva would still be locked in that tower and I would have her all to myself!" Unable to take in anymore, the Queen with ruby eyes ran towards him with her blood-coated sword, but was struck with his lightning-bolts before she could attack him. "So beautiful, yet so feeble… You were a formidable enemy, dear Saya, but I am afraid that it is the time you died for once."

"Saya!" all shouted, hoping that she would regain consciousness, but with no avail…


	8. Chapter 8

"Saya, Saya, it is time to wake up," a soft female voice spoke to the Red Queen, who felt herself to be sleeping on the softest of grass, underneath a bright, shining sun. She opened her eyes and found herself to be in the center of a green meadow, filled with roses of every single hue, including the blue ones. "You are needed in the battlefield, my child."

The woman's voice was so warm, so comforting, that she had to obey. She stood up, and found out that she was looking at a face that she had never thought to be possible. She had the same ebony hair, the same flawless skin and petite stature, the same eyes of ruby, and the same smile. There was little doubt who this person could be, and deep in her heart, Saya wanted it to be true, that she was indeed looking at the one person whose presence she had craved the most… "Mother?" she asked, her own voice filled with hope, demanding the woman that she answered as she had wished.

With a smile, the woman nodded. "Yes, my daughter, you are right, I am your mother." Opening her arms, she allowed Saya to run into her arms, and hugged her. "You have suffered much, Saya, and your sister, Diva as well. It does me proud to see that you both have let down your enmities and work for peace between yourselves. Only then, will you be able to see the ones you love smile again, only then, will you cease the suffering of the humans, and yourselves."

Saya looked into her mother's eyes and bit her lip. "But she killed Joel and Riku, because of her, hundreds of innocent lives were lost, and Otou-san…" she said, revealing her reluctance in her truce with her sister. "She caused so much pain, she should have died, but I…"

"You could not kill your own nieces, and your own children," her mother said, lovingly caressing her hair. "And you have found out the true intentions of Amshell, the man who cut me up and threw me away as a corpse with Joel I Goldschimdt… It is through this man, that all you came to love was destroyed by Diva's hands. You have realized that the true enemy is not your sister, but rather her Chevalier." She knew that there was still a long, long way to go before her older daughter learns her younger child, but there were already signs that Saya was beginning to yield.

The younger Queen heaved a sigh. Her mother was right, and she knew it. "What must I do?" she asked her mother. "Amshell is too strong for any of us… Too many have died…"

She was interrupted by another voice, this time, that of a male. "Don't worry, kiddo, you'll do just fine!" It was Miyagusuku George, her adoptive father after Joel I. "Nankurunaisa!" She smiled, and thanked him.

"Saya Nee-chan, you can do it!" added Riku, who was standing beside their father. "Say 'Hi' to Diva and my daughters for me too!" It softened her heart to see Riku having already embraced his fate of being Diva's chosen mate and the father of her nieces. "She didn't really mean to kill me… She told me that she would make me her Chevalier, but she didn't know that I was already yours. Will you please forgive her?"

Saya smiled, and nodded. "I will try, Riku," she told him, and was welcomed by yet another face: that of Joel I's. "Joel… I'm so sorry," she told the man that raised her, he who had given her so much freedom and love. "I should not have set Diva free, then you would not have…"

Joel I patted her head. "You were right, Saya, for I think, I deserved my fate, for locking her up in that dreadful tower. You did not know what I did to her, child, nor can you comprehend it. I regretted them, too late, when I found that what I had done to Diva had turned her into the monster that she became, but what I regretted more was that Amshell had betrayed me. You see, your mother told me that it was Amshell who found Diva after she escaped and clothed her… He was the one who told her to kill everyone in the Zoo, including me."

"I…" Saya voice failed her. She was only one person, how was she able to defeat such evil, such malice and hatred? But then she realized, she was not alone anymore. She had Solomon, the father of her children, she had Kai, her brother, Hagi, her Chevalier for many years, and she had the support of all those in the Red Shield. She was never truly alone in that fight, nor was she truly the monstrosity she always thought that she had been. "Thank you… Thank you all…"

* * *

"Please, Saya, hear me!" Solomon cried, holding his fiancée in his arms, a certain distance between a rampaging Amshell and the rain of weapons darting towards him. "We need you to fight!" Within seconds, her ruby eyes were opened, and he immediately held her tighter. "I thought that I had lost you!"

Saya put a hand to his handsome face and said, "You won't lose me… I saw my mother, Otou-san, Riku and Joel… They told me that they were with me, like you…" Solomon smiled, and kissed her lightly on her forehead. Her resolve had always came from the ones she loved, the ones she had cherished, and there was no doubt that during her loss of consciousness, she had found that the hearts of those who loved her, those that have passed on, were still living in her, so long she had them as her own memories.

Their little moment of intimacy was ended when a corpse that had been split into two horizontally landed a few inches before them, splattering countless amount of blood onto them. "And that, beloved, is our cue to join in with the fun again," he said, his usual expression of casual smiles now present. Revealing his blade-arm, dashed towards Amshell and pierced it into the bones of his brother's right wing, hacking it off while Nathan managed to do the same with the other.

"Your efforts are futile!" Amshell roared. "Even without the ability to fly, I am still unmatched in power!" With both his arms outstretched, he aimed his lightning bolts and the Schiff and Hagi, who were fast approaching him. "All who turn against me, shall die!"

Nathan scoffed at him and said, "Sorry to burst your bubble, Amshell, but those who fail to bow to the Queens are the ones who will perish!" At that he ducked and leapt away to clear the way for Saya and Diva, who were running towards him, their weapons in perfect position to strike at one crucial point of his body.

To distract him, Kai, David and Lois continued to fire their guns, while the rest continue to injure Amshell as best they could, leaving his thoracic cavity open for the two Queens to attack. Nothing, not even supersonic blasts of energy could stop them. They were not attacking as two separate warriors, but one single entity. And it was only then, did the Chevalier first feel the true meaning of fear.

He had played with the fury of a Queen, he had toyed with it too often to reach his goals. At first he had been jealous of the wealth and power of his research partner, so he used Diva to destroy him and his family, but then, they survived. Then, in his hatred, he had used Diva's blood to engineer all sorts of nightmares, while meaning to use her children as the new alpha-females for the latest in biotechnological weaponry… He had never thought that he would have seen this day… To be held like a beast, and to be destroyed like one…

He could hear the battle-cry of Saya and Diva, and he surely could feel the real pain of his own Queen's sword cutting into his own flesh, to feel her dainty fingers wrap around his heart, pulling it out from his body… "Diva, Saya, crush it now!" that insolent human boy shouted, no doubt, it was Solomon that had told them that it was the one way to kill a Chevalier. But no matter how many times they had tried to stab it with their weapons, his heart still remained intact.

"I would like to see how you would get yourselves out of this mess," he told the Queens, roaring with maniacal laughter. "You are fools, for not being able to foresee this. Did you not think that I would have thought that someone may have used the same ploy as that of Solomon's against Martin Bormann?" His heart, it seemed, was encased within a shell much alike that of James' skin in his Chevalier form.

Kai looked at this, and he thought of something. Taking the rocket launcher from a fallen Red Shield combatant, he shouted to Diva and Saya, "Throw it into the air, now!" They did as they were told, and once Amshell's heart was airborne, he took his aim and fired the rocket at it, and too Amshell's disbelief, it was enough to remove the protective layer. He was helpless now.

"No, it cannot be!" Amshell shouted in anguish, but it was too late. Both blades of both Queens had already pierced his heart before he was able to attack them again. The reaction was immediate. Every single blood vessel in his body exploded, along with his powers, and in a column of violet light infused with each drop of blood in his body, the Chevalier that was once Amshell Goldsmith disintegrated into tiny pieces of flesh.

At that, the great evil that had caused the world such pain and fear had been vanquished. Both Saya and Diva fell to the ground, leaning upon their swords, smiling at one another. At last, after more than a hundred years, they had peace, for the first time in their lives. And as if the heavens had felt their relief also, it started to rain, washing away all the blood of those who had gave their lives to make this moment come true, the blood of those who were but innocent bystanders of one twisted soul against the world, and the very blood of the monster who had caused much grief and destruction. It had all ended there.

It had soon become too much to bear for both Saya and Diva. For the first time in their long lifetimes, the two of them fought side by side against their true enemy, and they had prevailed. Diva finally had her own family again, and Saya, she had her peace. No one needed to fight anymore, nor did they need to see each other to the death, in the name of survival. Embracing one another, the sisters cried with each other, under the rain, free of all the emotions and suffering that they had felt. They were now free…

And from their own tears of joy, came new sounds of crying, but not from them. In the bush where Nathan had hidden the basket which held the cocoons that carried Diva's children, the voices of babies crying could be heard. Immediately, the Blue Queen dashed towards the basket, and found that her children were already born. "They look so much like Riku!" she exclaimed, shocking Kai the most. Did she even know Riku's name? Perhaps, she was not such a beast after all…

"And so, we are ushered into a new age for both human and Chiropteran alike," Nathan said before skipping happily to congratulate Diva, who was still crying tears of joy, while Julia volunteered to check on her daughters.

"You have done well, my daughters!" cried a voice in the wind, causing both Saya and Diva to look up. It was their mother, dressed in white embroidered with violet, the color that mediated blue and red. "Now, the peace and love that you have so desired is yours." The image of their mother was soon joined by many others, of those who had died from the conflict that had finally ended, including those who had once been perceived as antagonists. They were all smiling, and they all offered their congratulations to the Queens.

Solomon smiled for the umpteenth time and led Saya towards Diva, saying, "Come, my Queens, let us go home…"


	9. Chapter 9

Life was good for Saya, especially since Amshell Goldsmith's defeat at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Not only did she manage to save herself and her sister, but also, the many humans that could have been turned into mindless beasts; but somehow, through the joined efforts of Julia, Solomon, and the research teams of the Red Shield, they had found that once a Queen performs her primary function, which was to bring forth the next generation of Queens, hibernation would cease to have a hold on them. That meant that they would be free to be with the ones they loved, free to see their children grow up…

"Look at that!" Saya's thoughts were interrupted by the chorus of voices at the school gate. Yes, after she and her family had settled down back in Okinawa, she had enrolled herself back into school, starting from where she had left off. Although the process was tedious, it was what she could do to take her normal life back, along with a certain "long-lost twin sister" in tow. She looked up to see what was all the hubbub about, the fences of the school's outer walls beginning to be plastered by the bodies of curious teenagers.

"Wasn't he on every cover on business magazines a while back?" asked one male student to the other.

"He is just too hot to even exist!" shouted a girl.

"I have to have his autograph, he could be a hidden rock star!"

"A rock star? Are you crazy, he's wearing a business-suit!"

Diva just sighed. Almost a year ago, _she_ was the literal center of attention, even if the puny humans did not know that she was about to bring about their downfall. But she would rather like bygones be bygones, particularly when she had an end-of-term test coming up, and two boisterous twins to raise… "Nee-sama, is that not Solomon?" she asked her sister, noticing the very familiar head of straw-blond at the gates. He was not a man of tall stature, but judging the screaming of the girls around them, it would probably be him.

Saya looked out the gates and found her sister's words to be true. It _was_ Solomon, albeit in a very, very sleek mode of transportation. Mao had once told her that her husband's driving skills were as comparable to his Chiropteran powers, and it was not long into their blissful peace that she had discovered his penchant for the fastest and most expensive of cars. This time, it was a Bugatti Veyron, indeed, the top of the every list of the automobile fan-boys.

"Would my Queens care for a ride?" he asked with a smile that made more teenage girls swoon, after kneeling towards them and kissing their hands and typical Chevalier-fashion (not that Saya and Diva's school-mates needed to know).

Diva laughed. "Solomon, you do know that Nee-sama loathes such public displays of affection?" she teased him, with a nudge to Saya as well. "Can you not see how much she is blushing?" The Red Queen did not need the high reflective mirrors of Solomon's latest purchase to tell her that her sister was right. As much as she needs to become accustomed to this, she absolutely hated it, when Diva was right.

Smiling sheepishly, Saya chuckled and said, "Let's go home," and Solomon did not need to be told twice. They took the route closest to the sea, where the beach was constantly in view, and that, he had learned from Kai, was her favorite scenic route, and he had come to appreciate it as well.

* * *

"Diva, thank goodness you're home!" Mao shouted the moment the Bugatti Veyron was parked into the household garage, along with Solomon's "illegitimate children" as Kai would love to call them. Long story short, after their return to Okinawa, the Omoro underwent a massive refurbishment to accomodate the many individuals that would come to call this place a home. Having said thus, Joel VI had given them a location right in the business district, with private apartments above the restaurant for its landowners enough to house five families comfortably. "Aya and Anna have been crying all morning, and I can't find a way to make them stop!"

She quickly handed the twins to their mother, who stopped crying immediately when Diva started to sing. It was no longer the chilling tune that she always sang, but something more soft and tender, just for the two of them. Within a moment's notice, the twins immediately stopped crying, much to Mao's relief. "They just miss me, that's all!" she chirped happily, and went into their house while her sister and Solomon lagged behind, possibly enjoying what remained of their "alone time" until her nieces were born.

Solomon looked at Diva and shook his head a little. "Who would have thought that we would live to see this day?" he asked Saya, his fingers entwined with hers, their wedding bands shining in the sunlight the full windows of the garage allowed in. Saya nudged him at the shoulder and said that from the very first time she had met him, he already made other girls faint and sigh like no tomorrow. "That too, but have you ever imagined that you would be living here in Okinawa with Diva and your human family?"

Truth be told, it was a possibility that Saya never could anticipate. From the start of her personal quest to rid the world of Chiropterans, she had told Hagi that once she had killed Diva, he had to kill her. It was their promise, and their bargain to one another. Who knew that she would have fallen in love with Solomon, and who knew that Diva would take the initiative to beg for mercy on her daughters' behalf? She had once thought that every single possibility for her to live like she had before in Okinawa was gone, not until she had set foot on this hallowed ground after she had killed Amshell with Diva. "No," she answered Solomon. "I thought death was the only path remaining for me, and that was why I told Hagi to promise me that once everything ended, he would kill me..."

"I am glad that you found a new path for yourself, Saya," he replied, tipping her chin for a short, tender kiss.

* * *

"It is with great honor and happiness that I announce you this news," Joel VI said to the press conference before him. Reporters from the far corners of the world had come to this one place, this haven once known as the Zoo to witness this event that he had planned for many long years. "Over the years, much has happened to my clan and family, but nothing more hurtful than what my ancestor Joel Goldschimdt I had done to the ancestors of these young ladies with me today." The flashing lights of the cameras were then focused upon Saya and Diva, who looked at each other with much nervousness, while Solomon took both their hands, and Nathan smirked as the reporters kept glued into what was going to happen. "And to repair the sins of my clan's past, I hereby adopt Otonashi Saya and Miyagusuku Diva into the Goldschimdt household, and they shall be my joined heirs forthwith, barring the inheritance of the title of Joel."

That very moment had marked the healing of the first, but most terrible scar in the pasts of the Queens, and although nothing more could be done to erase what Joel I and Amshell had done to them and to their birth-mother, it was the only thing Joel VI knew that he could do. He had no other alternative, and despite the fact that Saya and Diva had already put the past behind them, it was the least he could do for them.

"Joel, you do not need to do this," Diva said in a hushed tone. Prior to her reconciliation with her sister, she had known that all generations of Joel Goldschimdt to be her enemies, but not this one. He was kind, and caring, unlike his ancestor that treated her as nothing more than a test-subject. "Nee-sama and I are already past that..."

Joel's smile interrupted her. "I know, Diva, but think of it as a way for me to clear everything that my family has done to you," he told her. "We have seen you as nothing but a monster, and Saya, as the only weapon to kill you... All this while the Red Shield existed for this purpose, to destroy all Chiropterans while we have forgotten that it was the first Joel who started all the pain and hatred that we have suffered. From now on, the Red Shield functions to protect you and your kind, no longer to destroy."

Tears were forming around Diva's eyes, and she went on her knees to take Joel VI's hands in hers. "Thank you, Joel..." she murmured, a word that she herself knew, was rare in utterance. "I will treasure what you have given to me."

"There is one more thing that I must ask you you, Diva," Joel added with a smile. "One that requires your total understanding and agreement."Will you give me the honor of accepting me as the adoptive father of your children?"

Although she was not tied to the laws of men, the Blue Queen knew what it meant should Joel VI adopt Anna and Aya. Not only would they have a father to love and cherish them, but they would be better looked after, and that they would have a future that will begin with stability. "I beg you," she replied, "that this is the last request you would ask of me."

* * *

"Mama, Papa, look!" a child naught but the age of five exclaimed from the helicopter her family was in. Looking down from where they were, the Nothern Lights had caused the surface of the lake to be filled with what appeared to be ribbons of greens, blues and purples, while the sky was alight with much color.

Her mother smiled and asked, "It is really beautiful, isn't it?" She looked towards the child's father and shared a knowing look with him.

The child's sister was also quick to join in with the sight, her ice-blue eyes widening at the sight of the dancing traces of light. "What do you think makes the lights dance, Papa?" she asked their father, who was piloting the helicopter.

The father smiled and said, "The Vikings used to think that they are the shining lights that come from the weapons of their Gods, Diana, but the Romans and Greeks tend to think that it is the goddes Eos, or Aurora, flying forth to welcome the sun." Both his daughters listened to his tale with undivided attention, while his wife looked at them, her face adorned with a smile that only motherhood could grant. "Do you know what I think?"

"What, Papa?" asked the child with eyes of ruby, alike that of her mother. At such a tender age, her distaste for suspense was already easily noticed, preferring things to happen immediately as opposed for waiting for that magic moment, a trait, her father mused, that made her so much like her mother.

Her father chuckled and answered her question promptly. " Well, Athena, the Northern Lights exist because the skies rejoice that the promise of a young and hasty Chevalier to a Queen has been completed." The twins just looked at him, puzzled. "You will understand that when you are older my dears, do not worry."

"But when are we older?" asked Diana.

"Why do we have to wait till then, Papa?" Athena added. "Could you please tell us?"

* * *

Saya had just put her twins to sleep when Solomon had entered their room quietly. "They grow up so fast," she told him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. It was as if it was yesterday, when they emerged out of their cocoons atop the ship that was the Red Shield headquarters on the anniversary of their triumph that happened almost an eternity ago.

He smiled and caressed each of their little faces. "And soon, they will want to have their own crazy adventures like we did," he replied, "Destiny holds a great deal for them, Saya, just like it did for you." He pulled his wife into a small kiss, which soon escalated into something more.

"You told me once that the land can glow like a rainbow, that the sea can be tinted with red, but today, you have shown me another miracle," Saya said, nuzzling against his neck, as though as she was about to feed upon his blood.

"And what might that be, my Queen?" he asked, raising his hand to the small of her back.

* * *

Hagi was never one to intrude upon the privacy of anyone. But this one time, his Queen had spoken so softly that he had to strain his ears to listen to what she had said to Solomon. _Thanks to you, I am now free..._ were the words, and he knew that she could not be more right about the matter. Had Saya chosen him over Solomon, death would only be certain to her, as he knew that he would do whatever he can to ensure that her will was carried out. It had always been like this ever since he was brought into the Zoo by Joel I. Although he had been the person closest to her for a majority of her life, he also knew best that he could never give her the happiness that the other Chevalier could. It was not about the lavish homes, the beautiful vacations and the most expensive things money could buy, nor was it about the sweet romance that started out as a forbidden love between enemies.

In the end, he knew that he had lost because he never had the ability to make her see that she too, was a miracle of nature, that she was not a monster as she once thought she was. When he had first lost himself to his Chevalier powers, he too, was deathly afraid of what he had become. He knew not what was going on, but he knew that from her expression of pain and fear that he must shield her from such grief ever again... That was where he had gone wrong, for in his quest to keep her from grief, he had neglected that there was another way to give her the happiness that she had always wanted to find.

That was why, the man in the room with her children, the man holding her in his arms, was not him. And for the first time in his life, he finally understood truly why Solomon had won Saya's heart. Thus, he takes a piece of paper and writes:

_Good luck, my Queen, you have found your happiness. I wish you only the best, and that you will find what you seek with the choices that you have made. Although I may seem that I have left your presence, do not hesitate to summon me if you need me._

He leaves, and departs into the shadows of the world. Far from the sight of the two lovers and their children, their large, and sometimes strange, extended family. He knew that he could well be a part of all that, but his tale in her life had ended. He was created to protect her, and now, with the peace that was undisturbed in her life, with the love of a powerful Chevalier, she no longer needed him. But he would wait. He would wait for her to call upon him, and he would come to her faster than the wings of dawn.

But until then, he would remain hidden, hidden until she calls for him, hidden until she needs him.

For the love of a Chevalier needs to reinforcement, be it for his own Queen, or the Queen that was to be his mate. Their bond would always remain, for their love, was written in blood, and so long that it flows within them, it will live forever.

* * *

HAN: So, how did you like the ending! I must say, this fic began with a spark of inspiration, and it died down into nothing but a little bubble in my head that would not go away. I am so relieved that it is finally finished, and that it ends to your liking!


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